Studio progress...

This is a very pretty 'before I packed all my stuff back into it' photo…

It's still in disarray as I work on other projects, but a clean comfortable space now

and today I like THIS

                                            "I was told once that chaos is the alchemy of truth and beauty"                                                                

                                                                             
                                                                                Jane Cather

On the path to another workspace...

Since last fall I've been working on my back yard restoration. Which I might add was precipitated by my neighbor's untimely (or timely) pruning of his magnificent Wisteria.  The removal of his rickety arbor before the pruning of the Wisteria caused it to collapse on my even more rickety fence, which prompted me to consider a sturdy wall, and subsequently a new patio and of course landscaping.

Before-ish

So,

 before I could complete the work on my planned studio I needed to complete the construction of my back yard walls, patio and landscaping.

(after-ish)

  

You see, the only access to my back yard was through the back door of my garage/studio.

this door…..at the back of this space…..leads to the back yard

It would have been nice to show you the finished yard, but in the flow of 'getting things done'

the contents of this space

have since been moved to the back yard and squeezed into my living room and kitchen

during which I lost my spectacles in this chaos

forcing me to wear these

which I bought in an Annie Hall moment last year

(?)

all in preparation

for finishing out this space.

For the record, since I moved in, I had the original door to the back yard replaced with this glass one,

a garage heater installed, and electrical outlets installed along the left wall. I also had the fan, that was formerly in the living room re-installed in this space. Lighting looks to be the next issue I address

and

the floor is scheduled to be refurbished by the end of the week. 

It occurs to me I have tons of before and after photos……

and wish I'd shared more along the way but that didn't happen.

Hopefully I'll recap some of the work when I finally get internet installed in this place.

As far as studios go. Gosh, isn't that a long story.

It certainly has been a struggle for me over the years to find a place to settle. 

Someday I'll share some of my spaces. 

This one isn't perfect for sure, but I intend to settle and organize it once and for all.

The interesting thing is that finding a space to create freely and easily was the reason I even bought this place.

And as usual, it's the last room to be addressed. 

On becoming conscious...my process...

So over the years I have had flowing interests in all things fiber.....

weaving, quilting, stitching, printing, dying, paper making and book binding......

which required an assortment of twine and thread and beads and paper, book board and fabric and needles, dyes and wax....and the tools for all these techniques

you know how that goes....

and as I made the paper and had the opportunity to travel to far off lands, I began to collect it too

(as we do...)

and then with the paper in hand I began to study printmaking.....and having let go of my loom, 

to fill that void

I acquired a large etching press.

And with that not only did I collect ink and plates and burnishing tools,

I also collected an assortment of tools and materials to frame my prints

mat board, frames, point driver, mat cutters

And as anyone who is into printmaking and has an interest in fibers and wax knows....

 the next lure

 is

encaustics.

and I collected all the stuff to work with that medium....

Burning in tools, more waxes, pigments, heating pans, cradled boards & brushes....

In addition to all that, over the years I've also collected sewing machines.

I'm counting......perhaps 6?

don't ask...

and tables and cutting mats and scissors and fabric,

pins and needles.....

and 

with all those supplies, I made sure in the last several years to take care of them.....

so I also collected beautiful rolling restaurant shelves and lots and lots of storage boxes.

Today I'm deeply entrenched in working with metal...

And I've collected a source of materials and tools for working that way too.

And then there are the Books

and Journals.....

and with trips and travels

oodles of ephemera for assemblage and inspiration

not forgetting aged, forgotten and not completed artworks

It is a 'soup to nuts' evolutionary creative practice for sure.

that took a lifetime to amass

And now as I sort my stuff......I realize I can't do this again.

Move with so much stuff that is.

Yesterday my friend Martin said...."well then, it's time to settle down".

And as I become conscious of my track record

not to mention my

astrological orientation

I thought it might be more likely that I

don't.

(settle down

that is)

Lightening up........

At 9:00 AM on Tuesday morning the moving pod was dropped off in the parking lot of my studio space in Albuquerque....

7 hours later, at 4:00 PM in the afternoon I was finished unloading it.

It was 90 degrees. 

I did this by myself.

Very carefully and very slowly.

"One more thing and one more thing....."

I kept telling myself in private conversation to keep myself from keeling over....

And as I was looking at what I was moving for the second time in a week.....

(and I think the 6th time in 12 years)

I was making some rules for unpacking.....

Rule #1:  

If I don't Love it or find it Beautiful or Useful....out it goes

and after that 

for the final cut

Rule #2: 

 If I don't think I'll use it in the next year...out it goes

I am also giving myself permission to be inspired, yet not distracted

 by what I re-discover in these boxes.

Let's see how that plan works.

Be careful when opening the overhead bins...

as some items

may have

shifted.

A change of plans/moving forward...

This week I thought I'd be on retreat in the mountains of  northern Colorado...

(I'd imagined this to be a summer filled with spending time in Nature)

However the Universe had other ideas and enrollment was down for such an adventure...

and as a result, that plan was scratched 'til next year.

So with my calendar clear,

 I decided to brave the inevitable....

And return to Michigan

to walk down this hall...

And address this...

The smaller of my two storage units 

Jammed to the ceiling with

the contents of my studio

that 

(almost two years ago)

 I could not seem to part with

(Goodness, is Dorothy in there?)

I keep asking myself 

"How could this happen?"

But no matter... It did

and now I'm off on yet another adventure to figure out what to do with it

Status report....

It has been re-jammed into what we call a 'pod' of relatively the same size 

And will be shipped cross country in the next several days to be sorted in the blistering heat

of a New Mexico 

summer....

It's always something

What happened......

If you recall from here.....

which was almost two months ago...

I had been in quite a funk.

Not knowing quite where to BE.

More than a year and a half ago I made the leap to change my 'place'

and moved from a town in southeast Michigan

to 

the middle of nowhere New Mexico.

And boy was I blessed to be deposited in a tiny town and a tiny house,

 that held me in quiet, peace and friendship

And you would think that would make me 'happy'....

but as time went on.....

I was drawn more and more to Albuquerque, an hour and a half from my little place

where I found a more expansive environment to create and commune.

And although the scenic drive between here and there is stunning, 

the packing up week after week wore on me.

I felt like I was being pulled up by my roots every time I had to begin my drive again.....

So I began to look for a place to BE in the city.

And NO NO NO

With all of my searching.....I could not find one

and was entirely STUCK

So what did I do to move the energy?

I began to clear clutter.

Mainly the clutter that came part and parcel with my densely furnished casita.....

This is a longer story and I wish I had posted on it,  however the energy began to move so fast I could not keep up with it!

Within days of clearing clutter at home.....

I moped into my 'new' space at the metals studio.....

which changed from 

this.....

to

this.

and I learned just then that the studio across the hall

which was

 this.....

was waiting for a new tenant.....

and now 

it is

this.

My new space.

I've been busy.

For the very very very best advice on how and why to clear clutter

follow the work of Karen Kingston

who has revised her great little book

(of course this is always a work in progress...)

Goldilocks........

I've been looking...

High

and

Low

for a new place to be.

To fill you in, I recently gave myself a 'gap' year.

That is normally the significant year after ending one school before entering another......and although mine did not correlate with formal 'schooling'.....but a significant change in life circumstance....

a 'timeout' seemed appropriate.

A friend or two suggested mine could be as long as I wanted.....gap 'YEARS'.....they suggested might be in order.

And that may be true, as this time in the high desert punctuated with many trips, 

is growing into a gap 'Year and a Half' come December.....

 actually more if you start from the beginning of this blog story...

In July of 2011 I took the leap.......put all my 'stuff' in storage in Michigan.......and drove to a dusty little  town in the middle of New Mexico........to rest........and drink in sunshine and heat.......and the deep sense of history and Spirit that permeates this landscape.  

The biggest struggle I have encountered is this concept of 'where' do I belong?  I've been spending a lot of time between the little town and the bigger one more than an hour's + drive away.  I have not put roots down in the little town as I had expected.  

So with the winds of winter.......I'm expecting to be blown in another direction. 

When one is not laden with their 'stuff' (OK, belongings)......

I suppose one can more easily move around.

(although my bags are getting heavier, as I'm prone to collecting things along the way)

One of the biggest challenges I've encountered is with the way I work.  I am process oriented ....and unlike some of my friends who seem to be able to work on the 'go'.......I need a place to sit.....a table and lots of supplies and tools to busy my hands.   And although I have been able to find a place to sit in my little casita.......and the shared 'shed' I call my studio......I feel like Goldilocks.......the place has been too hot, or too cold.......or too small.......and I have not found anything yet that is 

"JUST RIGHT"........

But now I am looking...........and for the months of November and December........I have decided to land here.......it is a bit far from my little town........but I am working out the logistics......

and for now.....

it seems......

JUST RIGHT

So simple..........

Today.........Louie........

and I ....

worked 16 hours to move my 'stuff' into storage.......what was I thinking a short month ago when I thought out loud "I'll just put my 'stuff' into storage and take a 'gap' year?.....really......poor Louie.........I originally figured it would take two days to do this.......and coached by my son......."MOM.......how could it take two days?.......a little condo and your studio......come on........"

So it's almost 3 in the morning........on this day.........OH.....no......the 'next' day.........and instead of turning in the truck...........sweeping it out, filling it up with petrol and all that.........and heading to the comfort of my son's house, waking up to my triplet grand girls..........

I have decided to 'simplify'.....(or crash)......and sleep in the place I have paid to reside in.......on the floor.......with a piece of foam.........and my sleeping bag...........I'll turn in the truck tomorrow........and take a run out to 'their' house in the morning..........after doing all that.....

And I am left wondering ........about wild fires.......my destination........and all the personal business I need to attend to before I take off on my most terrible adventure...........

and also.......

why the Hell do I have so much stuff?

It sickened me tonight........

I actually had a funny and/or magical story or two to tell about today.......but really......at the end of it.....I am sickened by my 'stuff'.......which after being wittness to loading it into the storage unit...... is like working a 3 dimentional jigsaw puzzle.......executed by a patient and amazingly hard working guy like Louie........

I also vow.....

never to return....

to........

This place
(my old studio filled vibes I could never clear)..........


It hurts my heart just to look at it here......…..
(and still wondering why I stayed there so long, or more important, how I landed there in the first place?)

Good Grief.............!

I was asked recently what my studio was 'like'....... and as I described it,  he deduced it as 'bleak'.............I could not object........

I've been struggling since I've been home from my 'far down yonder' journey.........

A friend suggested it would take as long as I was gone to recover from it...............I think she is right.....

So that is what I've been doing...............recovering.......and assimilating......and loving......and avoiding......

going to this place.............

and opening the door to.........

this...........

my throw away place.............



I guess it won't make it into this issue of  Where Women Create...................unless it's the 'before' picture!

Moving and traveling have taken it's toll..........so this is where I'll be today.......with my leaf blower.......trying to figure this out.  I've had this place for two years and still feel like I'm camping there.....

And it's not lost on me how lucky I am to have a 'PLACE'..............to be........an Urban Maker.......

And it is also not lost on me that this is NOT a pretty picture given all the other pretty pictures on this blog so far..............